Recently published Ornithological Works. 283 



(Petrels and Albatrosses), by Osbert Salvin. 475 pp. 8 coloured plates. 

 8vo. London, 1896.] 



Here we have a volume from two of the leading authorities 

 on their respective subjects, and the result is eminently satis- 

 factory. No ornithologist will question the competence of 

 Saunders to catalogue the Gulls or of Mr. Salvin to arrange 

 the Petrels. Dr. Giinther, we must allow, could not have 

 put these two important groups into better hands. 



The series of Gaviae in the British Museum consists of 

 4649 specimens, among which are representatives of every 

 one of the 115 recognized species. Sauuders^s private col- 

 lection of this group_, got together during the many years in 

 which he has paid special attention to it^ has contributed 

 materially to the perfectness of the series. Saunders divides 

 the Gavise primarily into two families — Laridte and Stereo- 

 rariidae ; and ranges the former under three subfamilies — 

 Sterninse, Rhynchopinae, and Larinse. We are pleased to 

 see no new generic names introduced into the ranks of 

 the Gavi8e_, except Micranous (for the smaller Noddies), 

 which, however, had been previously instituted in the 

 'Bulletin^ of the B. O. C. The specific terms are also in 

 nearly every case familiar to us. 



Mr. Salvin has been for many years our standing referee 

 on Albatrosses and Petrels, and we cannot but rejoice at 

 having his great experience brought to bear upon the Tu- 

 binares in a systematic form. He recognizes 107 species 

 of the Order, of which 15 only are not represented in 

 the British Museum among its 1086 specimens. Four 

 families, according to the arrangement here adopted, con- 

 stitute the Order — Procellariidse, Puffinidse, Pelecanoididse, 

 and Diomediidae. No new genera are created, and the nomen- 

 clature is such as will be familiar to most students of the 

 Order : except that Pelecanoides exsul (of the S. Indian 

 Ocean) is separated from P. urinatrix, Diomedea chionoptera 

 is a new Albatross of the group of D. exulans, and Thalasso- 

 geron layardi is a new species from the Cape seas. We 

 observe that there are three specimens of the newly-dis- 

 covered Diomedea regia in the National Collection. Here, 



